Why were little knives given at Croyland Abbey, to all comers, on St Bartholomew's Day?

Because of their allusion to the knife wherewith St Bartholomew was flead. - Gough.

Why were the rood and cross synonomous?

Because the rood, when perfectly made, and with all the appurtenances, had not only the image of our Saviour extended upon it, but the figures of the Virgin Mary and St John, one on each side: in allusion to John xix, 26. 'Christ on the cross, saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved, standing by.' — Fuller.

Such was the rood usually placed over the screen which divided the nave from the chancel of the churches. To our ancestors, we are told, is thus conveyed a full type of the Christian church: the nave representing the church militant, and the chancel the church triumphant, denoting, that all who would go from the one to the other, must pass under the rood, that is, carry the cross, and suffer affliction. Many of our rood-lofts were not taken down till late in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Ellis.

Why are sticks chopped and hob-nails counted by the City of London authorities, in the Court of Exchequer, on Michaelmas Day?

Because the tenants of a manor in Shropshire are directed then to come forth to do their suit and service; on which the senior alderman below the chair steps forward, and chops a single stick, in token of its having been customary for the tenants of that manor to supply their lord with fuel. The owners of a forge in the parish of St Clement, (which formerly belonged to the city, and stood in the high road from the Temple to Westminster, but now no longer exists) are then called forth to do their suit and service; when an officer of the court, in the presence of the senior alderman, produces six horseshoes, and six hobnails, which he counts over in

PART III.

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form before the Cursitor-baron, who, on this particular occasion, is the immediate representative of his sovereign. Gentleman's Magazine.

Why is it customary to eat goose on Michaelmas Day? Because of its forming part of the royal dinner when the news was brought to Queen Elizabeth of the defeat of the Spanish Armada; when her chivalrous Majesty commanded, that the dish (a goose) then before her, might be served up on every 29th of September, to commemorate the above glorious

event.

Mr Douce saw the above reason 'somewhere;' but Mr Brand thinks this rather to be a stronger proof that the custom prevailed even at court in Queen Elizabeth's time. Beckwith, in his edition of Blount's Tenures, says, 'Probably no other reason can be given for this custom, but that Michaelmas Day was a great festival, and geese at that time most plentiful. In Denmark, where the harvest is later, every family has a roasted goose for supper on St Martin's Eve.'. Bringing a goose 'fit for the Lord's dinner' on this day, appears to have been customary even in the time of Edward IV; and in Gascoigne is the following:

And when the tenauntes come to pay their quarter's rent, They bring some fowle at Midsummer, a dish of fish at Lent; At Christmasse a capon, at Michaelmas a goose,

And somewhat else at New yere's tide, for feare their lease flie loose. The practice of eating goose on Michaelmas Day, does not appear to prevail in any part of France. Upon St Martin's Day they eat turkey at Paris. They likewise eat geese upon St Martin's Day, Twelfth Day, and Shrove Tuesday, at Paris.Ellis's Notes to Brand.

Why was it said that if you eat goose on Michaelmas Day, you will never want money all the year round ?' Because, as we read in the British Apollo, before quoted

'The custom came up from the tenants presenting
Their landlords with geese, to incline their relenting
On following payments.'

Again

For doubtless 'twas at first designed
To make the people seasons mind,
That so they might apply their care
To all those things which needful were ;
And by a good industrious hand,

Know when and how t' improve their land.'

Why is the first of August called Lammas? Because it is a corruption of Loaf-Mass, it being customary for the Saxons to offer an oblation of new bread on this day, as the first fruits of the harvest; and from its being observed with bread of new wheat, it was an usage in some places for the tenants to be bound to bring in wheat of that year to their lord, on or before August 1.

Mass, it may be added, was a general word for festival, as the festivals of Christ-mass, Candle-mass, &c.

Why was it formerly thought in England, that every man had his guardian angel from the cradle to thegrave? Because the Egyptians believed that every man had three angels attending him; the Pythagoreans that every man had two; the Romans, that there was a good and evil genius. Sheridan, in his notes to Persius, says, 'every man was supposed by the ancients at his birth to have two genii, as messengers between the gods and him. They were supposed to be private monitors, who, by their insinuations, disposed us to good or evil actions. They were also supposed to be not only reporters of our crimes in this life, but registers of them against our trial in the next, whence they had the name of Manes given them.'

Why has it been asked whether every man has a good and bad angel attending him?

Because the ministration of angels is certain, but the matter is how is the knot to be untied. "Twas generally believed by the ancient philosophers, that not only kingdoms had their tutelary guardians, but that every person had his particular genius, or good

angel, to protect and admonish him by dreams, visions, &c. We read that Origen, Hierome, Plato, and Empedocles, in Plutarch, were of this opinion; and the Jews themselves, as appears by that instance of Peter's deliverance out of prison; they believed it could not be Peter, but his angel. But for the particular attendance of bad angels, we believe it not, and we must deny it, till it finds better proof than conjectures.- Athenian Oracle.

Why do weak persons pay attention to particular dreams?

Because, probably, of this antient notion of good and evil genii attending each person: the vulgar, it should seem, thinking dreams the means these invisible attendants make use of, to inform their wards of any imminent danger. Brand.

Why is St Luke the patron of painters?

Because he is said to have been veryskilful in painting, especially in his portraits of Jesus Christ. The usual oath of King William (Rufus) was by the face of Christ depicted by St Luke.

Why is St Crispin the patron-saint of shoemakers? Because Crispin, and his brother Crispianus, having travelled to Soissons, in France, in the year 303, to make converts to Christianity, they maintained themselves by shoemaking; whence they became regarded as the patrons of the 'gentle craft.' They were both born at Rome.

Why is the 1st of November the festival of all Saints? Because it serves to commemorate all those saints and martyrs to whom no separate day has been assigned.

Why is the 2nd of November the festival of all Souls? Because of its institution in the 9th century, by Odilon, Abbot of Cluny, to make intercession for the souls supposed to be detained in purgatory. The tortured soul once released, it is said, cannot again be

doomed to suffering. Various tenures were held by services to be performed on this day.

Why is All-Hallow-Even in the north, vulgarly called Nutcrack Night?

Because it is a festival in which nuts and apples compose the entertainment; when the nuts are thrown into the fire, or cracked, to propitiate omens touching matrimony: if the nuts lie still and burn together, they prognosticate a happy marriage or a hopeful love; if, on the contrary, they bounce and fly asunder, the sign is unpropitious. Hutchinson.

Burns, in a note to his poetical description of Hallow-e'en, says: ' Burning the nuts is a favourite charm: they name the lad and lass to each particu lar nut as they lay them in the fire; and, accordingly as they burn quietly together, or start from beside one another, the course and issue of the courtship will be.' A similar custom, according to Mr Ellis, prevails in Ireland. The superstitious notions in cracking nuts generally, is well known. Bonfires, ringing of bells, and feasting, are also customary on All-hallow-e'en.

Why was it customary also to sow hemp on all hallow-e'en ?

Because it was believed that by looking over the left shoulder, the sower might see his or her true love. The ceremony is thus described by Burns: 'Steal out unperceived, and sow a handful of hempseed, harrowing it with anything you can conveniently draw after you. Repeat, now and then, 'Hemp seed, I saw thee, hemp seed, I saw thee; and him (or her) that is to be my true love, come after me and pou thee." Look over your left shoulder, and you will see the appearance of the person invoked, in the attitude of pulling hemp. Some traditions say "Come after me and show thee," that is, show thyself, in which case it simply appears. Others omit the harrowing, and say, "Come